In conventional smart card systems, Card Issuers such Banks/Fls, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Companies Loyalty Companies have access to the cards only when the cardholder presents the card to a card reader/terminal which is connected to the issuers' backend systems via a communication network.
[A] This condition limits the card issuer's ability to offer new services such as a time bound promotions or value based discounts to enhance customer loyalty only when a cardholder presents the card to the terminal.
[B] Another problem is that, it also restricts the issuer's capability to block a card or a specific service on a card in case of defaults, card is stolen/lost, compromised security, etc increasing the risks or liability of misuse till such time as the card is presented to a terminal connected to the issuer network.
The mobile networks have high penetration coupled ease of use, with demand for new services. With increasing development in infrastructure, the Contact less Cards are easy to use with high level of convenience. Card issuer's demand for fast and efficient management of accessibility of a customer's smart card has steadily increased with the wide-spread utilization of wireless network communication for processing various customer sales, transactions and other services.
Accordingly, the present invention addresses a more efficient and productive manner of achieving the said through the integration of smart cards with Sim cards of mobile devices. CL SIM/(U) SIM/R-UIM with an existing CL card controller is attached with a antenna interfaced with an existing SIM/(U)SIM/R-UIM controller (dual chip architecture). CL interface uses a specially designed antenna which is provided to a partitioned, dedicated memory of a SIM controller (single chip architecture). Both the above configurations can be inserted in to existing handsets with SIM/(U)SIM/R-UIM card connector. With a CL SIM the card issuer's applications residing on conventional smart cards can be loaded unchanged in the separate, dedicated memory of a CL controller or SIM with CL interface. Besides savings in card issuance and maintenance cost, the issuers can securely access (using their own secret keys) their applications on the CL SIM thru the mobile network connectivity provided by the SIM. Similarly, it also offers several tangible benefits to mobiles users who also happen to be card holders. Cardholders can view history, updates, etc. on their own personal, trusted device—their mobile phone. The CL SIM Cards can be provisioned with EMV credit/debit soft cards over-the-air (OTA) and hence, mobile users can use their CL SIM/(U)SIM/R-UIM in handsets for payments at existing contactless card acceptance devices (POS terminals) or legacy POS devices with plug-n-play contactless adapters.
The transaction processing & settlement of all card transactions at POS locations requires live network connectivity for these terminals. With CL SIM/(U) SIM/R-UIM in cardholder's handsets, the transaction processing and settlement of these transactions can be routed through mobile user's handset using an appropriate wireless bearer. The distinct advantage of this method over the current process is the ‘functionality where users handset’ triggers the wireless transport bearer—hence can be utilized in remotest locations, where a POS terminal cannot be used in absence of a Telephone line (live network connectivity). Mobile Touch Transaction also enhances the operational efficiency of Mobile Network Operators revenue system on the other hand.